August 13-2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• The Nile River is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa and is the longest river in Africa.
• It is the primary water source of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan.
• It empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
• Its drainage basin covers 11 countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt.
• Gabon and Cameroon do not have drainage basins connected to the Nile River.
• The two main tributaries of the river are the Blue Nile and the White Nile:
  • The White Nile rises in the Great Lakes region (Lake Victoria) and flows through Uganda and South Sudan.
  • The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast. Both meet at the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
• The northern section of the river flows north almost entirely through the Nubian Desert to Cairo.
• The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Africa’s largest dam, is constructed over the Blue Nile.

Answer: (b) Only four; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• AI-enabled deep fakes (manipulated videos, audio, and images) contribute to disinformation and confusion (E.g., Taiwan Election 2024).
• There has been an exponential growth in incidents of cyber fraud, phishing, identity theft, and other online threats.
• Ordinary individuals and businesses are particularly vulnerable, and traditional defences such as firewalls and antivirus programs are often insufficient.
• Cyber Attack Examples
  • CrowdStrike Outage (2024): A Microsoft Windows glitch caused disruptions to global flight operations and the stock exchange.
  • WannaCry Ransomware (2017): Infected over 230,000 computers in 150 countries.
  • Shamoon Virus (2017): Targeted oil companies, causing significant damage.
  • Petya Malware (2017): Affected banks and infrastructure across multiple countries.
  • Stuxnet Worm (2010): Targeted Iran’s nuclear program, showcasing cyber weapon potential.

Answer: (d) Cybersecurity threats; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect and Statement 2 is correct

• Gotipua Dance emerged in Odisha in the 16th century, during Bhoi king Rama Chandra Dev.
• In the Oriya language, Goti means single, and Pua means boy.
• It is developed as a male counterpart (boys dressed as girls) to the declining Mahari tradition (a ritualistic dance performed by Devadasis at the Jagannatha temple in Puri).
• It is performed in praise of Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna
• It is considered a precursor to the Odissi dance.
• Dance Style: There are two primary postures: Tribhangi (three bends at the head, torso, and knees) and Chouka (a square-like stance symbolizing Lord Jagannath). Dancers sing while performing.
  • Upper torso movements resemble the waves of the Odisha coastline.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Training involves rigorous practice in singing, dancing, yoga, and acrobatics.
• Boys maintain long hair, wear flower garlands, and apply white and red powders for makeup.
• Dancers typically retire upon reaching puberty as they struggle to maintain flexibility and lose their feminine character.
• Sculptures in the Konark Sun Temple and Puri Jagannath Temple illustrate this ancient tradition.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

• Kalinga Prize is UNESCO’s oldest award that honors individuals for their outstanding contributions to popularizing science from now which Ministry of Science and Technology has withdrawn support to increase rationality of award.
• It was established in 1951 following a donation from Odisha’s former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
• It is awarded to individuals with distinguished careers as writers, editors, lecturers, or media producers who help explain science and technology to the public.

Answer: (c) UNESCO to honor individuals for their outstanding contributions to popularizing science.; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• According to the Supreme Court of India, the right to a fair and speedy trial is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the constitution.
• Procedural delays that can lead to unjust confinement of undertrials are recognized as a punishment, defeating the purpose of legal processes and threatening individual liberty under excessive executive actions.
• Article 20 provides protection with respect to conviction of offences like double jeopardy and self-incrimination, whereas Article 32 confers the Supreme Court with the exclusive authority to enforce fundamental rights across the country.

Statement 2 is correct.

• According to the Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002, bail can be obtained by a convicted if prolonged incarceration or slow trials occur, and for granting bail the court should be satisfied that the accused is subjected to the twin conditions:
• There are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused is not guilty of such an offence.
• The accused is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are correct

• A cloudburst is an intense torrential rainfall brought by a thunderstorm, which is common over mountainous regions where cumulonimbus clouds are often formed due to higher upper and lower atmospheric temperature variations.
• Localized in nature, they occur when an air mass with high humidity is struck at place due to various reasons such as warm air below, low temperature in the heights and slow wind speed etc.., resulting in increasing moisture level in the cloud and sudden downpouring as severe spell.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• A cloudburst is a sudden phenomenon, where a large amount of water is precipitated in a short period of time (few minutes to few hours), accompanied by thunder and hailstorms causing flashfloods.
• According to Indian Meteorological Department, any rainfall amounting to more than 10 cm in a span of 60 minutes and within area of 100 square kilometers are considered as cloudburst.

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Hard